


sand in my shoes

by spideywhiteys



Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [18]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, hashirama is an archaeologist, hashirama talks too much, sai and his sunscreen, sai does not like the heat and the heat does not like him, sai is a journalist, sai/ino only briefly mentioned?? also could be anyone bc i didnt say her name oop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28842633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideywhiteys/pseuds/spideywhiteys
Summary: Sai gets the opportunity to do something big, something huge - write an article about a dig taking place in Egypt, led by Senju Hashirama. It's not something he'd usually do, but since his wife bullied him into it, Sai steps off a plane and is greeted by the sun - and a man who embodies it.
Relationships: Sai & Senju Hashirama, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086938
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	sand in my shoes

**Author's Note:**

> Day 18: Journalist AU / Sai + Hashirama

Sai steps off the airplane and is immediately bombarded by stifling heat. Every breath feels like it burns his lungs, and he tugs his hat lower over his eyes. Even with sunglasses on, he feels the need to squint against the bright, painful sunlight. The desert camp is not made up of solid shelter, but rather tents and lean-tos against crumbling walls. 

He’s here to write an article about the current discoveries an archaeological team was uncovering in the deep, incredibly hot deserts of Egypt. Sai is as pale as a sheet of paper and he’s completely coated in sunscreen to the point where the scent is starting to give him a headache. He doesn’t usually take jobs like this, but the experience would be invaluable and his wife bullied him into taking it. 

“You must be the reporter!” A cheery voice calls. There’s a man approaching, tall with brown skin and brown hair, a grin on his mouth that reminds Sai of Naruto.

His feet sink slightly into the giving sand as he completely exits the little plane, bags strung over his shoulders. He can almost feel the heat of it through his shoes, and sweat immediately coats the back of his neck.

“Yamanaka Sai.” He greets, smiling stiffly. 

“Senju Hashirama!” The taller man exclaims, reaching out and shaking Sai’s hand with exuberance. His hands are wide and rough and it’s like he’s not affected by the heat at all. Sai’s energy is already draining. “Welcome to our little camp! Glad to have you!”

“You seem rather excited.”

Hashirama laughs, “Well, don’t see many fresh faces around here! And it’ll be fun, I can show you around and introduce you to everyone!”

Sai wonders if the man knows how to talk without exclamation points. 

“You’re in charge of this dig, right? Do you mind if I get a few basic—”

“Whoa there, you really get right into it, huh?” Hashirama throws a thumb over his shoulder. “Why don’t we get you situated first, Sai-san! You must be tired from your flight. Where’d you come from, by the way?”

Sai presses his lips together and squashes the instinct to grab his notebook from his carry-on and begin interviewing. It seems like that won’t be happening for a bit.

“Japan.” He replies, following the other man as they walk through the camp. He feels a bit out of place in his more professional suit attire. Everyone else seems to be content to wander in loose shirts and cargo pants. “It took over a day to get here. But I assume you’re familiar with the flight time.”

“You’re right! I’ve made the flight many times myself. Can’t seem to stop, really.” Hashirama gestures to a tent, the canvas shivering lightly with a slight breeze that Sai barely feels. “Here’s your tent! Set it up myself this morning! It gets a little like an oven, despite the shade. We usually hang around under the canopies. Have you ever been to a desert before, Sai-san?”

Sai shakes his head, pulling back the tent flap to peer in. “No. I’m not usually writing about places outside of Japan.”

Inside is a simple cot, what looks like a nightstand, and a storage unit. A little lantern hangs from one of the corners, clipped to one of the bars holding up the top of the tent. The ground is, unfortunately, still sand. Sai’s expression doesn’t change even as he processes the sheer discomfort he’s probably going to feel for a few weeks. 

Hashirama whistles, “Wow, all the way to Egypt for your first big out-of-country article? That’s amazing!”

_ I didn’t entirely want to come. _ Sai doesn’t say, even though it sits on the tip of his tongue. He’s been learning how to hold back his honest opinions. It’s still a work in progress. He offers a thin smile instead, dark eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. “It’s certain to be an interesting experience.”

“Lemme introduce you to everyone else! We have some really talented people here. A few of ‘em are rough around the edges but they mean well, really.”

“I have tough skin.” Sai replies dryly, “As long as they all don’t have your energy level, I should be fine.”

“You’re funny!” The other man laughs.

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow / Support me on [Tumblr](https://spideyfoof.tumblr.com/) and let me know if you'd like to see more of this AU!


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